Helpful Tips About Your Glucose Meter (cont.)

The accuracy of your test results depends partly on the quality of your meter
and test strips and your training. Other factors can also make a difference in
the accuracy of your results.

Hematocrit: Hematocrit is the amount of red blood cells in the blood.
Patients with higher hematocrit values will usually test lower for blood glucose
than patients with normal hematocrit. Patients with lower hematocrit values will
test higher. If you know that you have abnormal hematocrit values you should
discuss its possible effect on glucose testing (and HbA1C testing) with your
health care provider. Anemia and Sickle Cell Anemia are two conditions that
affect hematocrit values.

Other Substances: Many other
substances may interfere with your testing process. These include uric acid (a natural substance in the body that can be
more concentrated in some people with diabetes), glutathione (an
"anti-oxidant" also called "GSH"), and ascorbic acid
(vitamin C). You should check the package insert for each meter to find what
substances might affect its testing accuracy, and discuss your concerns with
your health care provider.

Altitude, Temperature and Humidity: Altitude, room temperature, and humidity
can cause unpredictable effects on glucose results. Check the meter and test
strip package insert for information on these issues. Store and handle the meter
and test strips according to the instructions.

Third-Party Test Strips:
Third-party or "generic glucose reagent
strips" are test strips developed as a less expensive option than the
strips that the manufacturer intended the meter to be used with. They are
typically developed by copying the original strips. Although these strips may
work on the meter listed on the package, they could look like strips used for
other meters. Be sure the test strip you use is compatible with your glucose
meter.

Sometimes manufacturers change their meters and their test strips. These
changes are not always communicated to the third-party strip manufacturers. This
can make third-party strips incompatible with your meter without your knowledge.
Differences can involve the amount, type or concentration of the chemicals
(called "reagents") on the test strip, or the actual size and shape of
the strip itself. Meters are sensitive to these features of test strips and may
not work well or consistently if they are not correct for a meter. If you are
unsure whether or not a certain test strip will work with you meter, contact the
manufacturer of your glucose meter.

Making Sure Your Meter Works Properly

You should perform
quality-control checks to make sure that your home glucose testing is accurate
and reliable. Several things can reduce the accuracy of your meter reading even
if it appears to still work. For instance, the meter may have been dropped or
its electrical components may have worn out. Humidity or heat may damage test
strips. It is even possible that your testing technique may have changed
slightly. Quality control checks should be done on a regular basis
according to the meter manufacturer's instructions. There are two kinds of
quality control checks:

Check Using "Test Quality Control Solutions" or "Electronic
Controls": Test quality control solutions
and electronic controls are both used to check the operation of your meter. Test quality control solutions check
the accuracy of the meter and test strip. They may also give an indication of
how well you use your system. Electronic controls only check that the meter is
working properly.

Test quality control solutions have known glucose values. Essentially, when
you run a quality control test, you substitute the test solution for blood. The
difference is that you know what the result should be.

To test your meter with a quality control solution, follow the instructions
that accompany the solution. These will guide you to place a certain amount of
solution on your test strip and run it through your meter. The meter will give
you a reading for the amount of glucose in the sample. Compare this number to
the number listed on the test quality control solution. If the results of your
test match the values given in the quality control solution labeling, you can be
assured the entire system (meter and test strip) is working properly. If results
are not correct, the system may not be accurate--contact the manufacturer for
advice.

Manufacturers sometimes include quality control solution
with their meter. However, most often you must order it separately from a
manufacturer or pharmacy.

Some glucose meters also use electronic controls to make sure the meter is
working properly. With this method, you place a cartridge or a special
"control" test strip in the meter and a signal will appear to indicate
if the meter is working.

Take Your Meter with You to The Health Care Provider's Office: This way you can test your glucose while your
health care provider watches your technique to make sure you are using the meter
correctly. Your healthcare provider will also take a sample of blood and
evaluate it using a routine laboratory method. If
values obtained on the glucose meter match the laboratory method, you and your
healthcare provider will see that your meter is working well and that you are
using good technique. If results do not match the laboratory method results,
then results you get from your meter may be inaccurate and you should discuss
the issue with your healthcare provider and contact the manufacturer if
necessary.

How FDA Regulates Glucose Meters

FDA reviews all
glucose meters and test strips before they can be marketed to the public. This
FDA "premarket" review process requires the manufacturer of the meter to show
that the meter system provides acceptable accuracy and consistency of glucose
measurement at high, medium and low levels of glucose as compared to glucose
meters already being sold. The quality of software is an increasingly important
feature of glucose meters since it controls the testing and data storage and controls the displays that the user
sees and uses when testing.